Admissions

For International Students

Welcome
We are proud of our robust international student population which includes students from over 40 countries around the globe, including matriculated students from the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Brazil, and Nigeria among others. On this page, you will find important information about requirements related to international students.

Official Transcripts: WES or ECE evaluations required from any school where a degree was earned (see below for more details)

TOEFL or IELTS scores: We require a minimum score in the range of 550-600 (paper-based), 225-250 (computer-based), or 90-100 (iBT). IELTS requires a minimum score range of 7.0-8.0. These criteria can not be waived.

If after fully reading this page, you have any questions about these or other requirements, please contact our Admissions Office for guidance.

English Language Proficiency Exams
In order to succeed academically at Georgetown, students must be able to excel in courses that are reading-and-writing intensive. We require applicants to have either English as their native language or demonstrate a high level of English language proficiency on either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). English is considered your native language if it is the only official language of your home country and the primary language spoken in your home. If English is not your native language, evidence of proficiency in its use will be considered in the review of your application for admission, along with your academic and professional credentials.

The School of Continuing Studies requires any applicant whose native language is not English to submit scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Test of English as a Foreign Language is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). We require a minimum score in the range of 550-600 (paper-based test), 225-250 (computer-based test) or 90-100 (iBT) to be considered for admission. These minimum criteria cannot be waived.

International English Language Testing System is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. The minimum score range is 7.0-8.0 to be considered for admission. The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (BALS) program does not permit the IELTS in its reviews.

An applicant's English proficiency test should be completed in time to allow the official results to be sent to the Office of Admissions by the appropriate application deadline for the intended semester of attendance. Test results must be sent directly from the testing agency. Photocopies, personal copies, notarized copies or faxed documents may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

Please contact the following organizations to arrange to take an English proficiency examination:

Transcripts from International Schools
Applicants must demonstrate that they have completed the degree equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's degree to be admitted to a Master's program. In order to ensure that U.S. accreditation standards, degree, course and credit equivalencies are met, transcripts from Higher Education institutions outside the U.S. must be evaluated by World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators.

Applicants who hold a degree from a Higher Education institution outside the U.S.: Students who have earned a degree at an international school must submit an official course-by-course evaluation from either World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) in order to be considered for admission. In addition to the WES/ECE evaluation, official transcripts from all other college-level institutions attended must also be mailed to the Office of Admissions in sealed envelopes.

Applicants who are currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program outside the U.S.: Applicants must demonstrate that they have successfully completed the degree equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's degree before they may be considered for admission to a Master's program. Please be advised Georgetown SCS will not review graduate admissions applications while a bachelor’s degree is in-progress at a Higher Education institution outside the U.S. Students applying to a Master's program should complete the degree before obtaining a WES or ECE evaluation (see “Applicants who hold a degree from a Higher Education institution outside the U.S.” above).

Applicants who completed coursework at a Higher Education institution outside the U.S. as part of a degree program or through a study abroad program:The Office of Admissions can request an official WES/ECE evaluation of any student transcript if deemed necessary during the review of an admissions application. Official transcripts from all schools attended should be mailed to the Office of Admissions in sealed envelopes. If transcripts are not in English they must be accompanied by an official, notarized, English translation. Please contact the Office of Admissions for more information regarding your particular circumstances.

The WES/ECE evaluation process can be lengthy; therefore, we encourage all international students to begin this process well in advance of the application deadline to ensure timely receipt and review by the Office of Admissions. Applicants are encouraged to be proactive in working with admissions advisors to ensure that all necessary documentation is submitted on time. Please contact the Office of Admissions at scsadmissions@georgetown.edu should you have any specific questions regarding your transcripts or application.

The International Student Immigration Questionnaireand Visa Support
The School of Continuing Studies (SCS) works closely with non-U.S. citizen students to ensure the proper completion of all immigration paperwork. Upon admission, all incoming students who are not U.S. citizens are required to complete an International Student Immigration Questionnaire regardless of whether or not they need visa support through the University. This document provides SCS with important information and helps determine whether visa support can be obtained through Georgetown. This completed form and all supporting documentation should be submitted to the School of Continuing Studies before any non-U.S. citizen begins his or her studies at Georgetown.

Please note that admission into an academic program does not guarantee conferral of a visa through the School of Continuing Studies, and only full-time students formally admitted to degree programs in the School of Continuing Studies are eligible for visa consideration. Full-time status for graduate students is defined as 9 credit hours in fall/spring semesters and 6 credit hours in summer. At this time, SCS does not provide visa support to undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (BALS), or EMPS - Emergency & Disaster Management students.

Semester in Washington Applicants
The Semester in Washington program is a non-degree, undergraduate program at Georgetown University that is offered during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Students applying to this program typically secure advance permission from their home institution with the goal of earning credit that can be considered for transfer back to that college or university. International applicants who are currently enrolled in degree programs at English-speaking institutions are therefore not required to present TOEFL/IELTS scores for this specific program. However, students should keep in mind that strong English-language skills are needed to succeed in this program. Non-native English speakers applying from foreign institutions must meet the school-wide TOEFL or IELTS criteria described above under "English Language Proficiency Exams." As with all other programs, upon admission to the Semester in Washington program international students must complete an International Student Immigration Questionnaire regardless of whether or not they need visa support through the University. Students in need of visa support through SCS must be enrolled full-time (12 credits in the spring semester; 6 credits in the summer) for consideration.